Gas pains

Up, up, up and away. That seems to be the trend with the prices of gasoline these days, and there doesn't appear to be any end in sight, at least not for the immediate future.

In the last month, the cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has risen close to 30 cents in Caldwell County and across the nation.

The soaring prices have frustrated consumers and left many convenience store owners and managers scratching their heads about what to do draw in customers.

A month ago, the cost of unleaded gasoline in North Carolina was $3.25 a gallon, a substantial increase from the $2.83 a year ago. A midweek check revealed those prices now to be at $3.51 for a state average. And that's for unleaded gasoline only. The average cost for midgrade gas is $3.73, premium is $3.87, and diesel a whopping $4.15.

Caldwell certainly has not been immune to the spike in gasoline prices. A random sampling of a dozen gas stations across the county this week revealed an average unleaded price of $3.50 a gallon. Midgrade checked in at an average of $3.61, with premium at $3.71 and diesel even higher than the state average at $4.16.

The prices for regular gasoline ranged from a low of $3.37 at one store to a high of $3.61 at another.

But the volatility of the crude oil market has caused prices to change rapidly. The cost of a gallon of gas can jump 2 to 4 cents in a day, and in some cases, just hours.

“The price of gas is the topic of a lot of interest,” said Carol Gifford, a spokesperson for AAA Carolinas. “The prices are rising because of international market spikes to record highs almost every day. Oil trading on the international market has been about $118 a barrel, and because of that gas prices are going much higher. We see new record prices every week and some every day.”

The national average per gallon was at $3.53 earlier this week, and some analysts are predicting it even could reach $4.

Oil production in other countries has slipped some, there have been pipeline interruptions, and refineries are switching from their winter stock, hence a cut in the supply of gasoline, which has led to rising costs for consumers at the pumps.

Some stores have taken a hit as a result of the higher prices. Pumps that once were teeming with customers sit idle in many lots or see very little action through the day.

“Our gas sales are off,” said Geneva Bowles, an employee of Save More on Blowing Rock Boulevard. “We've had so many people before that they were lined up. You see what it's like now. Since the prices have been rising the last month, it's been bad, especially the last couple of weeks.

“Gas prices are killing everybody. It's awful.”

James Gay works for a construction company out of Asheville that performs a lot of work in Caldwell and Watauga counties. He's not sure how much longer the company will be able to make those trips with fuel costs being what they are and expected to be.

“If it goes any higher, we'll be hurting,” Gay said. “It's going to be impossible for us to come from Asheville to here every day. They say we're in a recession, but there comes a point when it almost seems like a depression. It's going to get worse before it gets better. We know that's coming.”

Gifford said speculation on the futures market of crude oil and the economic slowdown suggest that prices probably will rise even more before they go back down, especially as Memorial Day weekend and the summer driving season approach.

“Right now, we see the process basically skyrocketing,” she said. “They've gone up faster than we've seen them go up before. We expect that they will keep going up.”

Some consumers have altered their driving plans, choosing to combine their errands into one trip rather than make several, all in an attempt to save fuel and cut down on the number of times they need to get gas for their vehicles.

Even local governments are being forced to make decisions regarding fuel for their service fleets. The Caldwell County Commissioners recently approved the transfer of nearly $70,000 from the county's contingency fund to offset fuel costs for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The rising cost of gasoline has had a trickle-down effect on other products, those petroleum-based as well as the daily essentials like milk, bread and eggs. Those items have seen soaring prices as well primarily because of shipping and delivery fees.

Mike Owens operates five Owens Express stores in Caldwell County and has tried to keep his gas prices as competitive as possible. His philosophy is a lower gas price will lead people inside the store where they may make purchases of cigarettes, soda, milk, bread or snacks that will help his business. Owens even offers a 10-cent discount per gallon for those customers who pay with cash rather than credit card.

But Owens admitted that he and other store owners aren't making much on the gas they are selling. In fact, he said his business has even lost, on average 2 to 4 cents, per gallon with the latest rise in costs.

“We haven't made any money on gas in months,” Owens said. “We try to keep our prices as affordable as possible.

“We've been in a volatile situation with the gas prices. Something has got to give on the fuel at some point.”

But when that point may come remains unseen. And until it does, people will continue to pay the price, literally, and figuratively, at the pumps.

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